Francisco Beirão

There’s a reason electricity prices have been rising. And it’s not data centers. It’s not data centers or AI, it’s something else.

There’s a reason electricity prices have been rising. And it’s not data centers.
It’s not AI. It’s not even data centers.

Europe’s need for green electricity is blowing fuses Grid operators plan to spend hundreds of billions to keep up

Europe’s need for green electricity is blowing fuses

“But ultimately, whether Europe can lower its electricity costs quickly enough to stay competitive depends on how fast its industry can build power lines, batteries and substations”

economist.com/europe/2025/...

“While Portugal enjoys electricity and natural gas prices below the EU average, the industry group said this competitive edge was eroded by more generous subsidies granted to energy-intensive industries elsewhere in Europe”
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The global boom in solar — with or without the US Despite the scepticism about renewables in Washington, falling prices for new panels are making a compelling business case around the world

The global boom in solar – with or without the US
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Despite the scepticism about renewables in Washington, falling prices for new panels are making a compelling business case around the world

@fbeirao.bsky.social:
"EU electrification has not progressed since being overtaken by China in 2014"

#alwaysbecharging

“If there’s something strange in your polity, who you gonna blame?”

Imports of energy products to the EU down in 2024 In 2024, the EU imported €375.9 billion worth of energy products, amounting to a total of 720.4 million tonnes. Compared with 2023, imports decreased both in value (-16.2%) and in net mass (-7.1%). Fo...

In 2024, the EU imported €375.9 billion worth of energy products
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web...

EU imports €14.6 billion in green energy products In 2024, the EU imported €11.1 billion worth of solar panels, €2.9 billion of liquid biofuels, and €0.5 billion worth of wind turbines from extra-EU countries, totalling almost €14.6 billion in import...

EU imports €14.6 billion in green energy products

ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/...

In 2024, the EU imported:

💵€376bn of oil, LNG & gas ✅ totally fine, no worries
💵€15bn of solar panels, biofuels & wind turbines ❌ catastrophic, economic risk!

Clearly, green is too risky!
Time for red tape and made-in-EU rules to increase costs, delay investments, etc

“Unknown reasons” behind initial trips prior to blackout – Entso-E Entso‑E says initial generation trips before the Iberian blackout remain unexplained – an overvoltage cascade from wind and solar disconnections caused the system collapse.

“Unknown reasons” behind initial trips prior to blackout – ENTSO-E

montelnews.com/news/fe38e6b...

New @solarpowereu.bsky.social jobs report: EU solar workforce reaches record heights in 2024 (+5%), but growth expected to stall in 2025 (-5%)

86% of jobs are in the deployment of solar business solutions to households and industries

www.solarpowereurope.org/press-releas...

Europe’s Clean Industrial Deal: four priorities to fulfil its promise The Clean Industrial Deal presents an opportunity for Europe, but quick action is needed on four priorities to deliver its goals

Europe’s Clean Industrial Deal: four priorities to fulfil its promise

The Clean Industrial Deal presents an opportunity for Europe, but quick action is needed on four priorities to deliver its goals

Increased geopolitical fragmentation | Energy economics | Home bp’s Energy Outlook 2025 uses two scenarios – Current Trajectory and Below 2° – to illustrate the key trends and uncertainties surrounding the possible development of energy markets out to 2050

Increased geopolitical fragmentation

www.bp.com/en/global/co...

According to “geopolitical fragmentation” sensitivity of bp energy outlook 2025, a stronger focus on energy security and reshoring supply chains could raise costs for solar & wind by 12-18 %, slowing renewables in Europe. Gas & Coal are likely winners.

Wind & solar to dominate future electricity growth, renewables take a rising share of global energy, but geopolitical fragmentation threatens supply chains & climate goals. bp Energy Outlook 2025 shows the stakes are high

Total system generation and balancing costs will be lowest in low latitude “sun belt” countries due to the rapidly falling cost of solar generation and battery storage, and shorter balancing duration needs.
www.energy-transitions.org/publications...

Netherlands ends incentive scheme for domestic PV manufacturing The Dutch government says large-scale solar panel production is no longer viable, closing its SolarNL incentives to building- and vehicle-integrated products, heterojunction modules, and perovskite-si...

Netherlands ends incentive scheme for domestic PV manufacturing
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“establishing a new solar PV sector in the Netherlands with large-scale production no longer seems realistic,”

Solar panels now cost peanuts (under 10 cents per W) in most of the world.

Carbon dioxide emissions in high-income countries are now falling, and there's reason to believe other countries will be able to develop much more sustainably than those did.

ourworldindata.org/grapher/annu...

The climate needs a politics of the possible To win voters’ consent, policymakers must offer pragmatism and hope

The climate needs a politics of the possible

To win voters’ consent, policymakers must offer pragmatism and hope

The humbling of green Europe Europe’s hard right is pushing the continent’s climate consensus hard. The response so far is tepid

The humbling of green Europe

Greenlash

Especialistas pedem estabilidade regulatória no setor energético

A criação de um quadro regulatório específico, com regras claras, partilha de infraestruturas e processos simplificados de licenciamento reduz a incerteza e o risco para investidores e promotores de projetos

Eólicas sem pás, centrais solares sem painéis Em Portugal, a exceção vira regra, o bom senso é opcional e a prudência individual transforma-se em obstáculo sistémico

Eólicas sem pás. Solares sem painéis.

Em Portugal, a exceção vira regra, o bom senso é opcional e a prudência individual transforma-se em obstáculo sistémico.

É preciso coordenação e execução, para aproveitar o sol e o vento.

✍️ no @jornalexpresso.bsky.social

Adapting Spain green units for grid resilience complex – lobbies Domestic green power plants, particularly older ones, “will indeed need to adapt”, said Javier Lazaro, technical and regulatory director at Appa. His comments came as the government approved legislati...

Adapting Spain green units for grid resilience complex – lobbies

New regulations enabling Spanish renewable plants to better regulate voltage levels across the grid will require further investment, green lobby groups Appa and AEE told Montel.

montelnews.com/news/5ef1aa1...

Big balls on fire!
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EC sets EUR 50/MWh floor for power price relief to industry National governments will be allowed to set up schemes to give aid covering up to half of the yearly average wholesale power market prices in the benefitting company’s bidding zone, for up to half of ...

EC sets EUR 50/MWh floor for power price relief to industry

No, Renewables Didn’t Cause Spain’s Grid Blackout Shifting to clean generation might occasionally trip, but the effects are short-lived, and easily fixed.

No, Renewables Didn’t Cause Spain’s Grid Blackout

Shifting to clean generation might occasionally trip, but the effects are short-lived, and easily fixed.

EDF brings forward nuclear outage warning amid French heatwave The 3.6 GW Bugey power plant was “particularly” at risk, it said, bringing forward a previous warning starting from Wednesday. EDF runs three other nuclear plants on the Rhone: St Alban, which has a t...

EDF brings forward nuclear outage warning amid French heatwave

5 things you should know about solar energy Solar energy is one of the world’s most abundant and easily accessible sources of renewable power.

5 things you should know about solar energy - European Commission
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Why the UK Needs Large-Scale Solar Highlights from Solar Energy UK's Chief Executive on Times Radio As the government announces major new investments in nuclear, solar power remains a

Why the UK Needs Large-Scale Solar
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